WhenPearl Harborwas attacked in 1941 , plunging the United States into World War II , among the security measures take was the transfer of training of a document from Washington , D.C. , to Fort Knox , Ky. [ germ : NCC ] . The original U.S. Constitution , all four oversize pageboy of it , were considered that important to the nation – as precious , apparently , as all thatgoldbullion .
Its value is mostly symbolic , of path . There are innumerable copy , printed and digital , Americans can rely on should the original be suffer . But the existent document , composed in a defend way in just over three months , signed by the likes of George Washington andBenjamin Franklin , is deserving save – and celebrating .
On Sept. 17 , we remember the document that Revolutionary War general and internal assemblyman Marquis de Lafayette called " little short of a miracle " [ source : Constitution fact ] . In this clause , in identification of the Constitution ’s suffer grandness to the United States of America , we ’ll get to have intercourse it a little better .
Here , some mo of Constitution trivia you may not have learned in school , begin with the very purpose of the Convention …
10. The Baby with the Bathwater
When delegate convene in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 , it was not with the design of creating a novel U.S. constitution . The intent was to make some modification to the existing constitution , known as theArticles of Confederation .
When they begin talk over the changes , though , they decided it would be best to just scratch the whole thing and start over .
Next : absentee founding father …
9. There in Spirit
Though they ’re recognized as " base Fathers , " John Adams andThomas Jeffersondid not attend the Constitutional Convention and never signed the document . Adams was U.S. Minister to Britain , and Jefferson was U.S. Minister to France .
Next : one who declined …
8. Thanks, But, No.
Patrick Henry , a striking anatomy in the American Revolution ( " Give me liberty , or give medeath " ) , was propose a theatrical role in the draftsmanship of the country ’s constitution , but he decided not to participate . He later on explained , " I smell a stinker . "
Statesmen George Mason , Elbridge Gerry and Edmund Randolph did attend the convention but were dysphoric with the termination . They decided not to signalize the final papers .
Next : length - wise …
7. Claim to Fame
The Constitution of the United States is the shortest one in the domain . The document draught in 1787 totaled 4,400 dustup . The total original document takes up four pages , each one measuring about 29 by 24 inches ( 73 by 60 centimeters ) .
With the signature section , there are 4,543 news , and admit all of the amendments bring the total is 7,591 .
Next : to slip …
6. Well, That’s Embarrassing
By no mean value a perfect document , the U.S. Constitution stop multiple spelling errors . The most noteworthy of these mistake is " Pensylvania . " A delegate from that state left out one of the N ’s when he signed . ( This was not rarefied at the meter ; it ’s spelled that room on the Liberty Bell , too . )
In Article I , section 10 , there ’s an even more unenviable misunderstanding : " No res publica shall … lay any Imposts or Duties on Imports or Exports , except what may be perfectly necessary for executingit’sinspection Laws . "
Next : A framer ’s piece of work is never done …
5. That’s Dedication
During the entire 100 days it demand to complete the U.S. Constitution , delegates took only 10 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. off . Six days a week , for more than three months , they hash out , debated and voted all sidereal day in a hot , close elbow room .
With the windows closed , despite the summer heat , to facilitate ensure secrecy , and delegates dressed in the grave garment of the day , the chamber in which the Constitution was drafted most likely reek something like a poorly air locker room .
Next : what ’s missing …
4. Glaring Omission
There is no honorable mention of " majority rule " in the Constitution . In fact , the United States of America is n’t a truedemocracy ; it ’s a democracy , which is how the framers intended it .
In a pure democracy , the people make decisions directly . In a democracy , the people make decisions indirectly , via representatives . The men at the Convention believe pure democracy to be a dangerous form of administration [ germ : This Nation ] .
Next : after all that operose oeuvre …
3. This is What You Came Up With?
The U.S. Constitution was not universally democratic when it first went to the States for ratification . In Rhode Island , one vote wrick out 237 for confirmation , 2,945 against ratification . Rhode Islanders wanted capital state autonomy , favoring the weaker central politics established in the Articles of Confederation .
Across the commonwealth , too , there was dissent . Some people believe the framers had no rightfulness to scrap the Articles of Confederation in party favor of a mark - new document . Some felt the Constitution was uncompleted without a Bill of Rights ( which came later ) . Still others felt the delegate choose as framers were not socioeconomically representative of the country of the whole .
Next : aboutThanksgiving …
2. A Day of Gratitude
Thanksgivingwas originally made a internal vacation with the intention of give very specific thanks – for the country ’s new physical composition . President George Washington supply the declaration in 1789 , calling upon the people to acknowledge :
Finally , staying power …
1. Against All Odds, the College
In the Constitutional Convention , delegate had to vote 60 times before theElectoral Collegesystem passed ( the other possibility on the table were legislative decision and popular vote ) . Its proponents felt it smarter , since they objected to national campaigning , to have the people elect experts who were very knowledgeable about the nominee , and then have those expert elect thepresident .
Since the Constitution ’s ratification in 1788 , there have been 500 propositions to eliminate the Electoral College system . To this day , it remains .
For better or bad , the United States still runs accord to the lead - blazing , four - page papers create in 1787 . Some consider it should run exactly as that document says ; others see the Constitution as more of a guiding theoretical account . But very few mean it should be throw out altogether , and considering how long ago the document was drafted and the social and political changes that have come about since the 18th C , that ’s about as spectacular an indorsement of a government structure as one can desire for .
For more information on the U.S. Constitution and related topics , look over the link on the next pageboy .
